Emilio Pucci in his workshop, 1950s | Source: Life in Italy

Without the Prints, Can It Still Be a Pucci? (WSJ)
“Under the hand of designer Peter Dundas, the six-decade-old fashion house is reinventing itself as an It brand. In the process, it is shifting its emphasis from kaleidoscopic cruisewear to cocktail dresses and sweeping gowns.”

Oscar de la Renta continues expansion (Reuters)
“‘We continue to offer, and continue to sell, $20,000-plus off-the-rack women’s evening gowns… On the other hand… a blouse that might have sold for $1,000 three years ago may now sell for $500.’”

Luxury sector to see niche deals (Reuters)
“The next aspiring Marc Jacobs or Stella McCartney may find it harder to get financial backing as luxury dealmakers target well-established brands for growth and top design houses begin paring smaller assets.”

Online, luxury strong, but apparel off (Reuters)
“Luxury items, jewelry and products sold online were the fastest-growing U.S. sales categories in the retail sector in May, but weakness in apparel and electronics suggest consumers may still be wary in their spending.”

CSM’s Graduate Show: The Clothes, The Designers, The Stars (Fashionista)
“London’s Central St. Martins College of Art served up 40 of its most promising talents to industry recruiters… With inflating Helmut Newton inspired pieces and a show-closing collection modeled on stilts, this was undoubtedly one for the books.”

Thomas Tait’s Sketchbook | Source: Thomas Tait

LONDON, United Kingdom — Each year, more than 4,000 design students graduate from fashion colleges across the UK.  But there are only about 500 new jobs available for them, leaving thousands of young designers to move abroad or start their own labels. The vast majority of these have absolutely no business training whatsoever.

For Thomas Tait — one of the most buzzed-about new graduates from Central Saint Martins, one of the UK’s leading fashion schools — and hundreds of other budding designers around the UK, PR and fame are not enough. There are also the practical necessities of developing a viable fashion business: raising funds, setting up a studio, hiring staff, securing production, creating a new collection and, ultimately convincing buyers that they should place an order because the clothes will actually arrive on time, as promised, ready to be sold.

… Continue Reading

George Davies | Source: George Davies

George Davies has further designs on women (Guardian)
“The man who invented Next and George at Asda is launching a spring collection with a brand new label. …GIVe – Davies’s fourth attempt to capture the hearts and minds of British women.  With the launch of its spring collection only days away, he cautiously reflects: ‘We are where I hoped we’d be when we set off. Overall, I’m happy.’”

Prada sounds positive note (FT)
“In a glimmer of good news for the luxury goods industry, Pradayesterday said its operating profit for 2009 would be better than the previous year and better than forecast in its own budget.”

Yoox ’09 sales rose 50 percent (Reuters)
“Online fashion retailer Yoox reported on Monday a 50 percent rise in 2009 sales, as consumers grew more comfortable and confident in using the Internet to shop.”

Liberty of London creative director exits (Retail Week)
“Tamara Salman, the creative director of the Liberty of London brand, has left the business. Liberty buying director Ed Burstell is reported to be taking over her responsibilities.”

The fashion stars of Central Saint Martins (Guardian)
“As the famous fashion school prepares to leave Soho, Louise Wilson, its razor-tongued head of MA fashion, talks us through her next generation of style superstars.”

LONDON, United Kingdom — I just finished reading the interview with Jane Rapley, the Head of College at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in this month’s Luxury Briefing, and I couldn’t help but think that for a school that prides itself on being progressive, she sounded behind-the-times when it comes to the way the industry works and what her students need to thrive in it.

Take for instance her answer to the question: Is it difficult to teach ‘creatives’ to be business-focused? She says:

“Yes, it’s terribly difficult! And we don’t always try…Product design is very much about the market because the way it works is that you identify a gap, research it, answer a very specific problem and quantify it. It is a more analytical process than being a textile designer. However, we don’t necessarily expect a great engineer or scientist to be a great business person or a musician to know how to run an orchestra, so does a designer need to know about business?” … Continue Reading

“Unstructured exploration…”

In the years before he became an overnight household name in the United Kingdom, when Linda Evangelista walked down his runway for free, Giles Deacon spent more than 10 years exploring — not the world, but rather the people and environment in which he lived.

The first chapter of Giles’ story explains how he came to be a fashion designer and launch his own label, GILES. It reveals how the accidents of life can change the course of fashion history.

Inside the Studio | Giles Deacon was generously supported by Swarovski